Hard surface cleaning in institutional environments has long been dependent on the transport, storage and discharge of cleaners from bulk supplies. Dispensing systems for use with these bulk cleaners can require a significant financial investment to install and maintain. Additionally, once installed these systems are usually fixed in place, adjacent to a water supply which is used to support application of the cleaner. The stationary system often requires the operator to create and dispense the cleaning solution at one location and then travel to another location at which the solution is used. The operator may then have to return to the dispensing system later to replenish the supply of cleaner. This can create inefficiency, especially in larger institutions having any number of sites requiring cleaning.
One solution is to use a portable dispenser and, to that end, several types of dispensing systems are known. The first type of dispensing system is a container with two or more compartments. Representative of these systems are Finch, U.K., Patent Application No. 2,297,306 and Solowey, U.S. Pat. No. 3,321,097. In Finch, the solution in the two compartments remain autonomous. In Solowey, there is some provision for flow between the compartments in the container. The next type of dispensing system is generally more complex involving some type of manifold or proportioning device to allow flow from reservoirs, or through intercirculation systems. All of Gacki et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,217,054; Woods, U.S. Pat. No. 4,823,829; Nowicki et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,518,020; and Copeland, EP 551,254 disclose these types of systems.
One further type of dispensing system includes that disclosed by Clark et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,790,454 which teaches a concentrate containing vessel and a diluent containing vessel. Concentrate and diluent are drawn from each of these respective containers through the suction side of an electric pump and dispensed through means such as a hose having a check valve which can be controlled by a switch. Clark does not teach a use-solution container for mixing of diluent and concentrate. Rather, Clark et al., mixes diluent concentrate in line through an aspirator driven by an electric motor.
Spexarth, U.S. Pat. No. 2,986,162 discloses a fuel tank for a two cycle engine such as a motorcycle or motorboat. An oil tank is mounted within a gas tank. An oil pump is contained within the oil tank to dispense oil into the gas mixture as a piston reciprocates within the pump.
Olson et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,443,094 also discloses a product dilution system. A concentrate is drawn from a fixed or portable unit. At the same time, diluent is dispensed into the use-solution container for mixing with the concentrate. The use-solution container may then be used to store the mixed product. In Olson et al., diluent is fed from off-site into the ultimate use-solution container. Additionally, the concentrate is also drawn into the storage container by the injection of diluent and mixing is undertaken in-line and within the use-solution container. Olson does not provide a portable dispenser including a use-solution reservoir. Rather transport of the Olson system requires moving the large solution reservoir.
As a result, there is a need for a portable dispensing system which creates and stores use-solution such as an institutional cleaner and which can be replenished adjacent any source of available diluent.